Former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel indicated yesterday in an email response to The Dispatch that he intends to attend ceremonies honoring the 2002 national championship team at the Michigan game. He wrote he was “looking forward to seeing the 2002 guys for sure!!”

As for rumors that he might pursue the vacant Kentucky job, Tressel wrote there is “no substance” to it.

K-State, Oregon in control

Kansas State and Oregon are now on course to play for the national championship. After Alabama was upset by Texas A&M, the new Bowl Championship Series standings have the Wildcats (.9674) first and the Ducks (.9497) second.

Notre Dame (.9396) is third, not far behind, but most likely in need of a loss by Oregon or Kansas State to reach the title game on Jan. 7 in Miami.

“These teams are in their order and the only way that order changes is if somebody gets beat,” said Jerry Palm, of CBS Sports and collegebcs.com.

As for Alabama’s run at three championships in four seasons, and the Southeastern Conference’s string of six straight titles, both are in peril. Five SEC teams follow Alabama in the standings: Georgia, Florida, LSU, Texas A&M and South Carolina. But it will take a couple of upsets to give the SEC champion a shot to reach the national title game.

Commissioners to meet on new playoff format

Conference commissioners will meet today, hoping to decide whether to have a six- or seven-game format for the new college football playoff.

Support has waned for adding a seventh marquee bowl game to the semifinal rotation. But there is still a strong possibility some automatic entry to the system will be given to the Big East and four other conferences now without a bowl of their own.

“Whether it’s seven games or six games, the commitment to access that was established at the Chicago meeting, I’m confident, is still in place,” Sun Belt Commissioner Karl Benson said yesterday from Denver, where the commissioners regular meeting with the BCS presidential oversight committee was being held.

The idea of adding a game to the playoff rotation that starts in 2014 came up at that September meeting in Chicago and initially had strong support.

The tentative plan was to match the best team from Big East, Mountain West, Conference USA, Sun Belt and Mid-American Conference against a team from the Pac-12 or Big 12.

But the game drew tepid interest from television networks because adding a game to the format would increase the overall price tag on the new postseason package.

ESPN.com reported two weeks ago the addition of a seventh game to the format was becoming unlikely. Big East Commissioner Mike Aresco responded there was still support for it among the commissioners.

Last week, Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said that both the six- and seven-game formats were still “on the table.”

A plan has also been discussed to have the best of the rest vs. Big 12 or Pac-12 bowl as part of the six-game format, but that, too, has met resistance.

In the new format, the Rose Bowl will keep its traditional Pac-12-Big Ten matchup in seasons it does not play host to a national semifinal. The Big 12 and SEC have locked up the Sugar Bowl when it’s not playing host to a playoff game.

The Atlantic Coast Conference has a similar deal with the Orange Bowl, and another deal is being completed that would reserve the other spot in the Miami game for a team from the SEC or Big Ten or Notre Dame.

Washington State’s Leach under review for behavior

Washington State President Elson Floyd has called for a review of claims of abusive behavior by coach Mike Leach and his staff toward players by receiver Marquess Wilson.

The decision by Floyd comes one day after Wilson quit the team. Wilson says he left the program because of the actions of Leach and his staff. Wilson says the new staff has “preferred to belittle, intimidate and humiliate us,” and that included physical abuse.

Floyd said in a statement that after consultation with athletic director Bill Moos, he asked the athletic department to report findings and conclusions as soon as possible. Floyd says reviews from both the Pac-12 and the athletic department “should get to the bottom of the matter.”

Oregon rises to No. 1 in latest AP poll

Oregon is No. 1 in the Associated Press poll after Alabama gave up the top spot following a loss to Texas A&M.

The Ducks have 45 of 60 first-place votes. Kansas State is No. 2 with 14 first-place votes. Notre Dame is third and received one first-place vote.

The Crimson Tide, which had been No. 1 for 10 straight weeks, dropped to fourth after a 29-24 loss to the Aggies in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday.

Ohio State, which had a bye week, dropped to sixth after being tied for fifth last week.